Response from Ernie's Plumbing Service Inc
While it is NOT very often that we cannot give an absolute FREE ESTIMATE, it does happen occasionally. The majority of our customers DO get an absolute Free Estimate 95% of the time. We won't give an estimate over the phone due to too many times the caller will minimize over the phone with my call-taker what the actual problem actually entails. I'm NOT saying this is done purposely. And then when I plumber arrives he appears to be the bad guy because the price just escalated. Therefore, we find it more reasonable to just send out plumber to your home and put a visual on your problem so that he can give you a more accurate free estimate. Now, I do have to add that approximately 5% of the time that when my plumber arrives that he does NOT have x-ray vision and will have to give you an absolute FREE ESTIMATE to cut into your wall, or go under your pier-n-beam home or go into your attic. This is NOT free. When it is free is when my plumber can see what the problem is and then give you a quote on what it will cost to repair it. For an example, I am not going to send my plumber up into your hot attic, our underneath your pier-n-beam home where it is muddy due to a hot or cold water leak or worse a sewage leak, or have him cut into your walls, WITHOUT charging you something. We are certainly NOT going to perform any services that require actual work being performed for any amount of time just so we can see what the problem is and then get denied for the estimate. I am certain that 95% of you will understand that. Respectfully, Ernie.